3 in 5 Australians intend on soaking up summer early as the East Coast braces for more rain

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Tourism NT is inviting Aussies to head north and catch an early summer, in response to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reporting a 50 percent chance that La Niña will form again later in 2022.[1] A wet outlook is predicted for the next three months for the southern and eastern states as the BOM has announced that a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event is underway.[2] 

New research commissioned by Tourism NT has found that 84 percent of Australians feel their ability to enjoy summer has been impacted over the past three years due to bushfires, floods, La Niña or Covid-19.[3]

Now with the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest announcement that a negative IOD event is underway – predicting rainfall over southern and eastern Australia, along with warmer days in northern Australia[4]– there’s no better time to head north for an early summer, to ensure that Australians don’t miss out on a warm weather break this year.

With almost half of Australia planning to take a holiday in spring or summer this year, three in five (67 percent) said they would consider taking their main summer holiday early if conditions were summer-like.[5]

In response, Tourism NT is encouraging Aussies to whip out their short-sleeves and enjoy an early summer from early spring in the Territory where they can expect:

Darwin:

• 20 percent more daily sunshine hours than in any other Australian capital city
• Three times less rainfall than in Sydney and Melbourne, and half that of Brisbane
• Daily temperatures ranging from 23.0 to 32.7 degrees Celsius 
• Average number of cloudy days less than half that of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth[6]

Alice Springs:

• Monthly rainfall at least five times below that of all capital cities (except Hobart)
• Maximum temperatures over one third higher than in Sydney and Melbourne[7]

Executive Director of Marketing at Tourism NT, Tony Quarmby says: “The last few years have been undeniably tough for all Aussies, and we all deserve to enjoy the summer we’ve been yearning for.

“With the Northern Territory’s summer kicking off three months earlier than the rest of the country, we’re inviting our friends from the southern states to reclaim their summer and holiday up north.”

To avoid the disappointment of another sub-par summer, Quarmby said Aussies should take advantage of the Territory’s warm weather from September, which is also typically the off-peak season - meaning cheaper flights, fewer crowds and bigger savings through tourism deals on experiences.   

“With La Niña unfortunately showing warnings of returning for summer and the BOM announcing a negative IOD event is underway, we’re thrilled to invite Aussies for an early summer full of adventure and fun with a range of great deals and savings,” he continued. 

“The NT has something for everyone – from the tropical hub of Darwin, the waterfalls and ancient rockpools of Litchfield National Park to the extraordinary landscapes and sacred Aboriginal cultural sites of the Red Centre. Come catch an early summer and celebrate the joys of following the weather and not the calendar date.”

Those eager to jump at the chance of an early summer can enjoy early bird summer deals with massive savings for consumers travelling from September 2022 to March 2023. Aussies can enjoy up to 30 percent of savings through packages from Webjet, Expedia, Travello, Holidays of Australia, Tripadvisor and Britz.

To plan your summer holiday and to check out the latest early bird deals, visit www.northernterritory.com/summer. 

-ENDS-

For all media enquiries, please contact:

Mango Communications

Eilis Grainger | Eilis.Grainger@thisismango.com.au  |  0481 454 350
Sarah Meenan I Sarah.Meenan@thisismango.com.au I 0434 672 260

Notes to the Editor:

Tourism Northern Territory Summer Outlook Report findings:

National research: 

• 84% of Australians feel their ability to enjoy summer has been impacted over the past three years due to bushfires, floods, La Niña or Covid-19
• 65% decided against taking a summer holiday as a result
• ​​Almost half of the country (48%) is planning to take a holiday in spring or summer this year
• More than 3 in 5 (68%) are motivated to take advantage of summer early if La Nina is to return
• 67% would consider taking their main summer holiday early if conditions were comparable to those of a typical Australian summer holiday

State-specific research:

NSW:

• Almost 9 in 10 (89%) NSW residents feel as though their ability to enjoy summer over the last three years has been impacted by La Niña, the pandemic, bushfires and floods
• 72 percent of NSW residents would continue taking “their main” holiday early if the weather conditions were more comparable to those of a typical Australian ‘summer’
• More than 3 in 5 (68%) of NSW residents would take their holiday in spring if La Niña continued throughout this coming summer
• Over half (64%) of NSW residents are less inclined to take a summer holiday if La Niña returns

VIC:

• More than half (64%) of Victorians would take their holiday in spring if La Niña returns this summer
• 66 percent of Victorians would take their “main holiday” early if the weather conditions were more comparable to those of a typical Australian ‘summer’ 
• Over half (58%) of Victorians feel as though they have not had a proper summer over the past three years
• Over 3 in 5 (67%) of Victorians are more motivated to take advantage of summer weather than before

QLD: 

• More than half (62%) of Queenslanders would take their holiday in spring if La Niña returns this summer 
• Over 3 in 5 (65%) of Queenslanders would consider taking “their main” holiday early if the weather conditions were more comparable to those of a typical Australian ‘summer’ 
• 62 percent of Queenslanders feel as though they have not had a proper summer over the past three years
• More than half (51%) of Queenslanders are less inclined to take a summer holiday this year if La Nina continues
• 65 percent of Queenslanders are more motivated to take advantage of summer weather than before

SA:

• More than half (67%) of SA residents would take their  summer holiday in spring if La Niña returns this summer
• 60 percent of South Australians would consider taking “their main” holiday early if the weather conditions were more comparable to those of a typical Australian ‘summer’ 
• 3 in 5 (60%) of South Australians feel as though they have not had a proper summer over the past three years
• Almost half (49%) of South Australians are considering an early summer this year as La Niña gears up for the second year in a row 

WA:

• 57 percent of West Australians feel as though their ability to enjoy summer over the last three years has been impacted by La Niña, Covid-19, bushfires and floods  
• Over half of WA residents (64%) would take their holiday in spring if La Niña returns this summer

La Niña

La Niña occurs when equatorial trade winds become stronger, changing ocean surface currents and drawing cooler deep water up from below. This results in a cooling of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The enhanced trade winds also help to pile up warm surface waters in the western Pacific and to the north of Australia.

The warming of ocean temperatures in the western Pacific means the area becomes more favourable for rising air, cloud development and rainfall. As a result, heavy rainfall can occur to the north of Australia. Conversely, over the eastern and central tropical Pacific, air descends over the cooler waters, meaning the region is less favourable for cloud and rain. The air rising in the west and descending in the east enhances an atmospheric circulation – called the Walker circulation – which can result in changes to the climate felt across the globe.[8]

Negative Indian Ocean Dipole

Sustained changes in the difference between sea surface temperatures of the tropical western and eastern Indian Ocean are known as the Indian Ocean Dipole or IOD. The IOD is one of the key drivers of Australia's climate and can have a significant impact on agriculture. This is because events generally coincide with the winter crop growing season. The IOD has three phases: neutral, positive and negative. Events usually start around May or June, peak between August and October and then rapidly decay when the monsoon arrives in the southern hemisphere around the end of spring.

Westerly winds intensify along the equator, allowing warmer waters to concentrate near Australia. This sets up a temperature difference across the tropical Indian Ocean, with warmer than normal water in the east and cooler than normal water in the west.

A negative IOD typically results in above-average winter–spring rainfall over parts of southern Australia as the warmer waters off northwest Australia provide more available moisture to weather systems crossing the country.[9]

Decibel Research 

Decibel Research, an independent market research services provider, was commissioned to conduct an online survey amongst a representative sample of the Australian population (18+).  

Sample was provided by the consumer research panel provider Pureprofile and comprised a sample of 2,000 respondents, distributed across Australia, regional and rural areas. 

Fieldwork commenced on 20th July 2022 and was completed by 23rd July 2022. 
 

[1] Bureau of Meteorology, ENSO Outlook, Climate Driver Update, issued 19 July 2022

[2] Bureau of Meteorology, Climate Driver Update, issued 2 August 2022

[3]Decibel Research, July 2022

[4] Decibel Research, July 2022

[5] Decibel Research, July 2022

[6] Bureau of Meteorology, Monthly Climate Statistics, Darwin Airport 

[7] Bureau of Meteorology, Monthly Climate Statistics, Alice Springs Airport

[8] Bureau of Meteorology, What is La Niña and how does it impact Australia? 

[9] Bureau of Meteorology, Indian Ocean influences on Australian climate